Dash cracks & what can be bone to stop them.
 

Help.

I was cleaning my car at the weekend and whilst dusting the dash I noticed a couple of (small)cracks on one of the air vents at the front (far right as your sit in the car). Now I know my car is old but my question is this...

What can I do to stop the cracks from spreading/appearing? Can they even be fixed? I've seen Autoglym sell a vinyl cleaner that is supposed to condition the vinyl but I want to check with you guys if you have had any experience on this. I live in the UK so it's not that sunny but in the summer it's going to get worse....

I guess that in the end I may be looking at a new dash (big money) or should I live with it and explain it off as "character" when I come to sell it on?

Never personally done it or seen the results, but I've heard that if you drill a small hole at the very end of the crack it will stop it. Obviously due to space constraints, you'd have to use a right angle drill.

allways park in the shade and use a sun visor.

I've heard something called "Vynalex" or something to that effect (I forget the exact name) will help keep cracks from appearing (but obviously can't do anything for those that are already there).

Pray to Saint Stan Andreas, the patron saint of dash cracks.

shade works.. w/ a visor.. so does moving to a consistent climate.. also treat the dash with the appropriate cleaner and moisturisers.

Frank B

Cracks are a sign of maturity. Adds character. Like creases on a face. Tells you that your car and you are aging together. It's a zen thing. I have several of them, so does the car.

Thanks for the response guys.

Think I'll invest in a sun screen to prevent more cracks from appearing and may try high boosts hole drilling trick. (whilst praying to saint stan (lives in California no?).

Thanks again....

FWIW I am guilty of using Armorall, most people here (and some other car nuts I know) say it is a bad bad thing.
I'm using the last of my supply on my tires.

Vinylex by the same company that makes Lexol is what you are looking for. It comes in a baby blue bottle and can be found at Pep Boys. This is the best stuff that i've found for my dash. I religiously use itaround 4 times a month or more. I also use a sun shade. My car is covered as well, but only when the car is spotlessly clean. When I bought my car last year it had no cracks and a perfect dash.

Even with my efforts the dash now has a minor crack smaller than the size of the letter "I" as it appears in this post. While this is very petty compared to other dashes i've seen it is still annoying to go to this level of effort and still have one show up. Good luck.

I have NEVER seen a 944 in person that didn't have a couple cracks

I use Vinylex: based on my research: that stuff works the best.

Using Armorall is probably worse than using nothing at all, since Armorall has a tendancy to dry out the plastic and vinyl.

I have a sun screen I use when I park the car, and I have a small terry cloth that I also place in the center of my dash as added protection.

CJFusco: my dash has just 1 crack: real small, on the driver's side, and I wish to keep it that way. Come on over sometime, I'll show ya!

As far as drilling some holes in your dash: I don't recommend it!

i have quite a few cracks, and I really don't mind at all. I do use a sun shade even in winter so that they don't get too bad, but I really don't care enough to replace the dash.

well... I have always read these post regarding Cracked dashes............and they usually get quite entertaining.... kinda like the Dino oil/Synthetic debate.

In my undergrad I spent many months in a plastic plant making all kinds of vinyl compounds and resins...

Without boring everyone.....

The easiest way to explain..... all plastics are relatively the same ... hard plastics and flexible vinyls etc..etc.....

The sun is definitely a major contributor to the degradation of our dashes..... so it is one of the causes of cracks but regardless of the sun being present or not these softer vinyls (filled with additives and modifiers) will slowly harden over time....You can't stop it............well not in a home environment....

You can slow it down.
1. windshield covers, as long as they also block UV light
2. Any protectant with a UV block.

Unfortunately there is no way of reversing the process. These vinyls are slowly hardening.

Now.... is Armor all worse than others.... to be honest I could not tell you..... Frankly no one could unless they have the formula that Armor all uses. Anecdotes mean SQUAT!!!
Armor All does have a UV protectant that is good..............but do they have another chemical in the formula that causes the additives/modifiers to disperse into the atmosphere and cause these dashes to crack after a few weeks of use..............

I doubt it......

IMO

:)

It's too bad that I live so far away.
SmileWavy

http://www.mega-logic.net/turbo944/p...3-08-02_03.jpg

That is one classy-lookin interior, Yan

My '83 944 with black interior has no dash cracks which is one of the reasons I chose it 4 years ago. I used Armorall every week and the only time the dash was uncovered was while I drove the car. I am going to try vinylex next year.

Thanks! SmileWavy

There's alot of work too... Hehehehe
http://www.mega-logic.net/photos/interior.jpg